1. Field of the Invention PA1 2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to a conveyor system, particularly for material carriers for use in medical laboratories. The conveyor system includes two endless motor-driven round belts which are guided in the conveying area in a horizontal plane parallel to each other and in the same direction. The conveyor belts are guided on components which extend in conveying direction and have upwardly extending side walls. At the beginning and the end of a conveying distance, the conveyor belts are guided around deflection rollers.
Various very different conveyor systems are known in the art. The conveyor system according to the present invention is a conveyor system in which the two endless conveyor belts having a circular cross-section are guided parallel to each other in a plane in a circuit and, thus, form a forward conveying distance and a rearward conveying distance which are both available for conveying material carriers in a circuit. The conveyor belts are preferably guided by the oppositely extending side walls, so that the conveyor belts do not leave the conveying path.
Conveyor systems of this type cannot be constructed with any desired length. Because of the structural requirements, material properties, drive problems and guidance problems, the length and, thus, the available conveying distance are limited. In addition, there are cases in which conveying distances of different lengths are required.